Walk In The Sun
by SabarielNell
Summary: Close friends since school, she doesn’t think their relationship is anything more. Until an evening out changes all. OWOC
1. A Day In The Life Of

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun  
Rating - T  
Chapter 1/possible 8  
Pairing - OWOC

A/N - My first fic, please read and review and let me know what you think before I post the second chapter.

Chapter One - A Day In The Life Of...

"Ashlee, I want a cup of coffee!" shouted the hoarse voice of Mr McGan, "and be quick about it girl!"

The girl in question, Ashlee pushed away from her desk and made a rude hand gesture at the closed office door behind her. "Get of your fat butt and get your own coffee once in awhile" she muttered more to herself than anybody else as she left the office to get the coffee she was asked to.

Ashlee Liana Stamp, worked as a personal assistant to one of the top reporters for the Daily Prophet, in hopes that she might become a reporter herself one day.

She had left Hogwarts four years ago and had been working for the Prophet for the past two years, according to most she had done well to become a P.A in that space of time but to her she knew she could be better and be higher within the hierarchy, to show everyone she could do it but more importantly show herself she could do it.

She reached the coffee machine – which the Prophet reporters insisted on having even if it was a muggle machine, the coffee helped them concentrate or something to the sort, Ashlee, herself preferred firewhisky ­– pressing the strongest type of coffee button knowing that her boss hated it, she waited for the cup to fill up.

Merlin, she hated this job, her friend had once suggested that she should quit her job and move in with him into his overly large apartment and she didn't have to worry about where next weeks rent was coming from or how she was supposed to survive without eating. She smiled politely at him and declined saying that his apartment was meant for him and his 'women' not for his friend to lounge around eating all the ice cream and such.

She smiled to herself at the thought of her closest friend, Oliver Wood. She had known him since their fourth year at Hogwarts when he had saved her from falling forty feet to the ground as she tried to teach herself how to fly, they had been together since then. The best of buddies nothing more, nothing less, _yet_ she thought unconsciously.

Too lost in her thoughts she didn't notice that the coffee cup had overflowed or that some one was repeatedly saying her name. Giving up on trying to get her attention verbally he tapped her on the shoulder, only to be head butted in the nose when she whirled around to face the interrupter.

"Oh Merlin, Ben I'm so sorry" Ashlee cried, placing a hand on Ben's shoulder and ducking a little so she could look into his streaming eyes.

Ben like her was a personal assistant to a top reporter and had been working here for the past six years, _Fat chance for a promotion then Ash_.

"Ouch that hurt" he whined as he held his nose with one hand and wiped his eyes with the other, "What have you got in that head of yours? Bricks!"

"Ben I'm really sorry," she said looking at him with pleading eyes, "I didn't mean too, I guess you caught me off guard"

"More like you were day dreaming" he said sounding strange because he had his nose pinched

"I wasn't day dreaming" she said smartly, turning back to the coffee machine and beginning the process again

"Alright, Alright" he said holding up his hands "No need to get iffy"

"Ben"

"Yes, Ashlee" he asked smiling politely

"Nothing" she said with a shake of her head, she turned back round with the coffee cup in hand, "Listen I would love to stay and chat but-"

She was cut off by the angry voice of Mr McGan down the corridor, "ASHLEE, Where is my coffee girl? I have been waiting for the past hour"

"It hasn't been an hour" she called back moving around Ben and walked down the corridor trying not to spill the coffee on her clothes, she found Mr McGan standing in the office door way.

"Where have you been girl?" he snapped, snatching the coffee out her hand causing it to spill over her and his hand, he made a disapproving noise and walked into his office, "You can go, your not needed now" and he slammed the door shut.

Ashlee stood with her hands clenched into fists as she tried to regain her temper, after several deep breaths she moved towards her desk to gather her things and left the office heading towards the lifts.

When she reached the lifts she tapped the button several times impatiently, finally she thought when the lift arrived and she stood in. As she stood into the lift the happiness in her face about leaving work early dropped from her face as she came face to face with the one person she never wanted to see again in her life.

Before her stood Kayleigh Antcas. She had dated Oliver for a couple of months last year but he broke off their relationship claiming she was too clingy for him and he needed space. Kayleigh of course being the drama queen she was known for told anyone that would listen that Ashlee and Oliver were having an affair and that started off all the rumours that they were more than just friends no matter how much they denied them.

Kayleigh gave Ashlee the dirtiest look she could manage but it only made her look more of a pig she was. Kayleigh was middle height, rounded faced and had a pig like nose. _Honestly what did Oliver see in her._

Giving Kayleigh a sickly sweet smile she punched the button to the ground floor where she would be able to apparate over to Oliver's apartment and wait for him to finish training.

"How's Oliver?" she heard Kayleigh ask her in a what seemed to be a polite voice.

"He's excellent. Loving the single life I think," she taunted back at her.

"I suppose he misses me then" she said with a dreamy sigh causing Ashlee to snort.

"I doubt it Kayleigh"

"Doubt whatever you what Ashlee," she said as the lift stopped at the second floor, as she got out she turned back "he will never love you like he loves me"

"Keep believing that, because one day you'll realise your lonely and twisted and need to move on" she retorted as the doors slid shut. _Gah, _how she hated that woman, yes what she had just said maybe a tad bit mean but honestly she didn't care. She had put up with her taunting Oliver in front of her from at least six months, showing the world something that she did not have.

_But want very much._

_Shut Up! _She mentally told herself, she was always mentally telling herself to be quiet. The little demon inside of her that was her voice of desire never seemed to shut up when it came to the subject of Oliver.

_Because you know everything I say is true._

She just rolled her eyes at herself, maybe she was slowly going crazy and would soon be locked up in a nice white room with padded walls.

_Or maybe you just need a bit of Oliver!_

Once again she ignored the demon voice and stepped out of the lift as it reached the ground floor, looking around at the busy foyer she quickly made to avoid the middle aged woman that had just spotted her.

Lynette Kingly was the gossip column reporter and always looking for some scandal about the celebrity world and of course as Ashlee was best friends with one of the hottest quidditch players today, Lynette was constantly at Ashlee's heel where ever she was around work trying to get the latest about him.

"ASHLEE! ASHLEE WAIT I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!", Lynette shouted as Ashlee quickly made her way to the apparition ports.

"I can't Lynette! Busy day! See you later!" she called as she joined the shortest queue, "Come on", she mumbled under her breath as some one in the next port caused himself to be splinched.

She quickly looked behind her and saw that Lynette was trying to fight the crowd to reach her, the man in front of her moved onto the port and closed his eyes in concentration. She sighed out of relief knowing her turn was next turned back to smile at Lynette and noticed that she was a three or four people behind her.

Turning the back the man in the port still had his eyes closed in concentration, suddenly they opened and he gazed around his surroundings. "Huh?" he said in a confused tone.

"Ashlee, thank Merlin I caught you", Lynette breathed out as she placed a hand on Ashlee's arm, quick to get away Ashlee ran forward and pushed the confused man out the way followed by a haste apology before she disapparated away.


	2. Unbreakable

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun  
Rating - T  
Chapter 2/possible 8  
Pairing - OWOC

A/N - Thanks to everyone that has added the fic into their C2's. Please Read and Review and let me know what you think of the fic before I post the next chapter.

Chapter Two - Unbreakable

Ashlee landed - rather ungraceful - onto the front doorstep that belong to a certain Mr. Wood, on her hasty retreat from the Prophet offices she had concentrated on landing in Oliver's living room on his large comfy couch. But instead found herself on his doorstep staring hatefully at his door as if she was trying to burn it with her gaze.

She sat rather in a daze as Oliver always left his apparition wards off enabling her to get into his flat when he wasn't in, rarely did he put them on. Pulling herself from the floor, she dusted herself off and knocked on the door twice.

After hearing no answer she knocked several times more, knocking louder each time until an elderly witch from the opposite apartment opened her door to shout at her to get lost in a not so pleasantly way then slammed the door so hard that dust fell from the door frame and a large slap of plaster fell from the ceiling.

Again she found herself glaring at a door for the second time that day, before collecting her bag from the floor and walking to the stairs that led out into the main street of Diagon Alley.

Shielding her eyes from the sun as she stepped out she looked around the Alley deciding that a trip to The Leaky Cauldron couldn't hurt. As she walked up the Alley several people looked at her knowingly recognizing her as the woman whose face was plastered over the Prophet a couple weeks ago.

A few women congratulated her on being the other woman to Oliver Wood while others sent her so much hate mail claiming she was fat and ugly that she would be able to fill a whole muggle skip with she was sure.

She wasn't the best looking woman she knew that, being 5'3' in height and rather plump she didn't have the best figure. Her dark hair that refused to take any style at all drowned out the colours her hazel eyes held and her somewhat rounded face wasn't something that stood out in a crowd.

Her personality though was something she was proud off, she wasn't loud or too quiet, she stood up for what she believed in whether she did it anonymously or voiced her beliefs out loud, she followed rules but bent them somewhat to fit her ways but most of all she was loyal to her family and friends.

Yes, she lacked in self-confidence at the best of times and was usually drawn into herself when around new people but her lifestyle suited her fine.

Entering the pub she was immediately met with dullness from the lights and a faint smell of ale that was sold in the pub. Heading up to the bar she ordered a butterbeer and sat down near the back of the pub.

She sighed heavily as she looked around the people in the pub, a couple of young witches that obviously had good jobs or careers for the amount of bags surrounding their legs, an elderly man sitting at the pub look like he was trying to find the answers to life in the bottom of his drink glass, another witch supporting a swollen belly was trying to dissuade her husband from buying a children's broomstick and a young couple of about sixteen talking quietly to themselves in the far corner.

She wanted all that, good career, a partner that would be there for her then later get married, think about children and then one day think she could find the solution to her life problems in a drink.

But she didn't all she had was a run down apartment, a crappy job, a newspaper for the job adverts, a best friend that locked her out and probably about two galleons to her name until pay day. _Yes Ash your life is perfect!_

The jingle of the door brought her out of her musing and she looked up as the crowd in the pub went quiet then quickly jumping to live as they realised a quidditch star stood in the same room as them and scrambled to him for an autograph.

Ashlee smiled to herself as she watched Oliver get surrounded by fans all wanted to get his signature or a photo or a shake of the hand all at the same time. He looked around desperately for an escape route and caught Ashlee's eye gaze.

His eyes pleaded with her to help him but she just smirked back and took a sip of her drink, _ha take that for locking me out!_. She continued to watch until she saw Oliver falter as Lynette Kingly joined the crowd.

_Where in the name of Merlin did she come from?_ Ashlee thought as she jumped up from her seat and pushed her way through the crowd ignoring the 'Heys' and 'Excuse me' that followed her.

Upon reaching Oliver she pushed him behind her before she stood facing the crowd, "Well if you would all calmly back away and back to your tables then Mr. Wood can carry on about his business and no one will get hurt!" she said in what she hoped to be a demanding tone.

When no one moved she slipped her wand out and pointed it at the crowd, who slowly backed away to their tables. This is what she meant about her personality, she stood up for her friends and quite willing to get violent if anyone was to disagree with her.

Suddenly she felt Oliver wrap his arms around her shoulders and hug her from behind, unconsciously she relaxed and lent back into his hug.

"Thank you" he whispered in his Scottish brogue.

"Your welcome but your giving your fans something to speculate about" she said as she began to walk to the exit at the back of the pub with Oliver still attached to her, she tapped the correct bricks and they moved to form the archway which led them onto the Alley.

Slowly they made their way towards Oliver's apartment earning themselves looks as they passed by. Finally reaching Oliver's apartment she flung herself onto the couch very unladylike and watched as her threw his dirty training robes into his bathroom and joined her on the couch.

"What do you want?", she asked after a few minutes of him staring at the same spot on the wall

He smiled sweetly at her - _too sweetly_, "Why would you think I wanted something?"

"Oliver, you never hug a female in public not even your girlfriend. You haven't said a word since you came in and you smiled to sweetly for you not to want anything"

"Ok…ok, I was wondering…" he trailed off.

"Wondering what?" she asked as she sat up and looked at him with a raised eyebrow

"There is this Christmas quidditch ball that - "

"NO!" she interrupted as she jumped up off the couch.

"Please, I need someone to go with"

"Then ask someone else, a fan, your sister and ex girlfriend. Not me, you know I hate them"

Which wasn't a lie, she hated the stupid formal balls. Rich quidditch players wives thinking they were higher than the rest of the world, all sitting and bragging about their husbands when really they couldn't give a flying quaffle about them. Preferring to have a secret affair with the quidditch pitch gardener.

"Ashlee, I can't ask them"

"Why not?"

"Because they already said no"

"So I'm a last resort" she said with her hands on her hips.

"No", he said as he stood and came over to her, taking her hands. "You're my best friend and I want to go with you"

He pulled his best puppy dog expression knowing that she would melt under it and say yes, true to it she sighed and nodded.

"Fine but if you leave me Oliver Wood" she pulled a hand from his and poked him in the chest, "If you leave me on my own with them I will get you" she said pronouncing each word with a poke.

"Thank you so much Ash" he said pulling her into a hug, "I won't leave you"


	3. Unsaid Things

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun  
Rating - T  
Chapter 3/possible 8  
Pairing - OWOC

A/N - Thanks to everyone that has read the fic, added to C2s and my reviewer justsukiya. Please R&R

Chapter Three** -** Unsaid Things

"I promise, I won't leave you, whatever Oliver Wood" Ashlee grumbled, as she rudely told yet another person who asked her to dance to bugger off.

Oliver was currently dancing with the newly single daughter of the manager of England's quidditch team.

"Jackass" she grumbled again and swiped a glass of champagne off the passing waiter, she could just leave and pretend that this dreadful evening hadn't ever happened.

Then again Oliver would notice she had left and moan, bitch and possibly burst the little vein that appeared on the side of his temple when he got angry.

And if she stayed and continued to be an attraction by the dessert table she would be first in line to personally burst the little vein for him.

Suddenly realizing she was standing by the dessert table, she shuffled along to the bar. _Better to look like an alcoholic than a chocoholic._ She thought, she had enough chubby parts as it was without the help of more chocolate.

Emptying the glass, she placed it on the bar and readied herself to leave. Having had enough of glaring at Oliver, who was currently laughing at something his dance partner had said. _What was her name?_

_Fel? Felix? Felicia? That's it Felicia. Sounds like a bloody cat._

Pushing her way through the crowd, she finally reached the exit, just as she was about to go through the door, someone was entering the other way.

She collided with a tall, muscular – _very muscular _– man. His arm shot out and caught her before she fell backwards. The hall behind her had suddenly gone extremely quiet. Looking up at the man that held her, she knew why.

The man holding her had not only an amazing body, of what she could see, he also had light scruffy brown hair and green eyes. This was Miles Taylor, chaser for Puddlemere United, in a position for possible captainship, ex-Hogwarts student and ex-fiancé to Felicia Miller.

Releasing herself from his grasp, she straightened dress out and looked up at Miles, who looked like a scared rabbit.

"Thanks" she barely said above a whisper but seemed loud in the quiet hall.

"No problem" Miles replied in the same tone, they both stood staring at one another as the hall broke into hushed tones,

"So that is why the engagement is off…"

"I always knew he was no good…"

"Is she not the one with that keeper…?"

Flushing pink, Ashlee pushed past Mile with a quiet "Excuse me" and ran out into the snowing Hogsmeade without a backwards glance.

Sitting down on a nearby bench, she slowly regained her breath from the run.

_Just great! Another scandal about me!_

Placing her head in her hands, she sat hoping Oliver would come out.

"Hey"

She jumped as someone sat next to her on the bench, raising her head. She saw Miles sitting next to her.

"Hi" she replied and they both fell into a somewhat awkward silence, the snow around them had lessened to a light fall and the ground in sight was covered in white. The cold chill of winter was as bitter as ever and offered no comfort to Ashlee as her teeth began to chatter.

"I apologize for about what happened in there" said Miles as the awkward silence got too much

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault. I didn't know you where coming through the door" she replied her teeth beginning to chatter even more

He laughed slightly, "That wasn't what I meant. I meant about the comments they were saying, you've only just got your name out of the press with all that business with Wood"

"Well some things can't be helped, besides life was getting boring anyway" she said in false humor

He laughed again and then the awkward silence was back, only Miles was staring at Ashlee. After a minute or so of him staring, she looked at him. _He's not bad looking, cute but not as cute as Oliver._

_Shut up Ashlee, Wood ditched you for the cat woman._

"How come you were leaving the ball?" Miles asked, his staring obsession forgotten about.

"My date ditched me, he -" whatever she was about to say was drowned out by a loud shout.

"ASHLEE"

Ashlee stood up and looked over at the source of the shout, Oliver spotted her and marched over to her, as he came to a halt in front of her she could see that he was angry.

_Ah the vein makes an appearance_

"Taylor" he spoke sharply in greeting to Miles.

"Oliver" Miles replied, standing up, "I'll be on my way, nice meeting you Ashlee" he began to walk away when Oliver stopped him.

"Stay Taylor, Ashlee and I where just leaving" he spoke coldly to Miles causing Ashlee to give him a funny look. "Come on" grabbing her arm he pulled her towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Oliver, what the hell has gotten into you?" Ashlee asked as she yanked her arm out of his grasp as soon as her feet landed in his living room.

"Me? What has gotten into me?" he answered throwing his jacket onto a chair, "You're the one all over Taylor!"

"All over Miles Taylor? Me? Are we talking about the same person here?" she threw up her hands and stormed towards his kitchen

"Yes I think we are"

"Then your drunk Oliver Wood" she poured herself a glass of orange juice and turned back to face him, "I certain wasn't all over Miles Taylor"

"Not from my point of view" he sat down on a kitchen stool with his arms crossed, she sat down opposite him and looked at him. His face was slightly pink and his eyes were slightly out of focus as he looked at her.

"Oliver, how much did you have to drink?"

"I am not drunk Ashlee"

"OK, if you say so" she drank the rest of her orange juice, "I'm going home, I've got work tomorrow" she stood up and placed her glass into the sink. "I'll see you tomorrow Oliver, get some sleep"

She leaned down and went to peck him on the cheek but he turned his head last minute and caught her lips. She froze and pulled back, shocked. He was looking at her through gazed eyes, "Goodnight Ashlee"

"Night Oliver" with one last look at him she disapparated away.


	4. Sorry's Not Good Enough

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun Rating - T  
Chapter 4/possible 8  
Pairing - OWOC

A/N - Thanks to the readers and reviewers on the last chapter, this is the last of the chapters I had pre-written. Chapter Five is half done and shall be complete as soon as i get enough time from college assignment. Hopefully by then the fic should have more reviews.

Chapter Four - Sorry's Not Good Enough**  
**

Ever since that night in Oliver's apartment, Ashlee had been trying to get in touch with him ever since. But the quidditch star seemed to have vanished of the face of the earth.

Strolling into the Prophet offices sipping a hot chocolate she got from a muggle café outside the Leaky Cauldron. She settled herself behind her desk and was about to settle into some editing when Ben ran in holding a paper.

"What's up Ben?" she asked smiling at him as he tried to catch his breath

"Ashlee…have…you…seen the paper?" he panted holding himself up by using the door frame

"No, I have only just sat down this minute. Why something big in it?"

Ben didn't reply only offered the paper to Ashlee, who too a sip out of her hot chocolate cup as she took the paper off him. Casting over the main headline, her eyes widened and she nearly choked on the sip she had taken.

Fighting back a coughing fit, she looked back up at Ben, "This is a joke right?" she demanded looking back at the paper which had the headline, 'WOOD AND ANTCAS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN??!!'

The article underneath was written besides a picture of Oliver and Kayleigh, they were sitting in a wealthy restaurant whispering into each others ears, Oliver would say something and Kayleigh would giggle stupidly, _in Ashlee's opinion_.

'_Report By Gaby Leighton'_

_ Its official Oliver Wood and Kayleigh Antcas are back together!  
If Prophet readers remember we ran a story a few months back on the  
blossoming relationship of Mr. Wood and Miss Antcas but it hit difficulties  
when Mr. Wood was suspected of having an affair with his close friend  
Ashlee Ashton, a PA to one of the Prophets top reporters.  
Mr. Wood and Miss Antcas' relationship then disintegrated when the rumours  
were not denied but now the relationship seems to be back on form. No  
news so far on how Miss Ashton is taking the news._

Ashlee dropped the paper and turned to look at Ben, who was standing like a deer caught in the headlights and wanted to run away.

"When was this printed?" she asked in a low voice.

"The report was ran over the weekend and printed this morning" Ben replied.

"That son of a hippogriff" Ashlee exclaimed as she stood and roughly pulled on her coat, "I'll kill him for this"

Grabbing her bag she pushed past Ben, "Where are you going?" he shouted as she stormed down the corridor.

"To attack Oliver bloody Wood with a broomstick" she shouted, shoving open the corridor door.

"Did she not like Gaby's article?" a sly voice sounded next Ben.

"Go eat a doxy Lynette", Ben snapped back as he made his way back to his office.

Lynette only smiled at Ben's retreating form before slipping into Ashlee's office.

Ashlee concentrated on apparating into Oliver's apartment but once again found herself sitting on his door mat for the second time this month.

Giving up at the glaring at the door, she pushed herself up and knocked loudly on the door. After receiving no answer she banged her fist against the door to make a louder noise.

"Oliver! I know you're in so answer the door!" she shouted through the door followed by several more bangs.

"Oliver! I know – OH!" Ashlee jumped back from the door as it opened to reveal Kayleigh behind it.

"I thought it was you" said Kayleigh coldly, "What do you want?"

"Oliver. Where is he?"

"Out"

"Where?"

"Out. Don't know where"

Ashlee gave Kayleigh a nasty glare before turning away.

"I didn't know dusty clothes where in fashion these days" said Kayleigh referring to the dust that Ashlee had got on her pants when she landed on the doormat.

"Yeah, in stores everywhere. You should get some, I mean if you can afford your own clothes" Ashlee shot back.

"Oh this" Kayleigh replied looking down at the oversized top she was wearing, "Oliver said I could borrow it"

"It's a good thing he has tops your size then isn't it?" Ashlee smiled apparating to the one place she knew Oliver would be if he wasn't at home. Quidditch practice.

Ashlee apparated into the reception area of the Puddlemere United Stadium, several people where there reading today's Prophet but she held her head high and made her way to the desk.

"Hi, is the team training?" she asked the young receptionist who sat blowing gum and twiddling with her hair.

"Yeah" she replied in a bored tone followed by blowing an air bubble of gum.

"Can I go through please?"

"No"

"Why not?"

"Read the sign" she pointed with the hand that held her wand to the sign on the front of the desk which read:

_No members of the public allowed past this room unless they  
hold a pass from the PUSB (Puddlemere United Stadium Board),  
are a member of the press or is family to the team players._

"I'm a friend of a player" she stated after reading the sign.

"Does the sign say friend?" the young receptionist picked up the sign and read it aloud, "Nope friend isn't on there"

Ashlee gave the girl a glare before reaching into her bag for her purse, after finding what she was looking for she slapped her PA Reporter ID onto the desk with a little more force than needed. The girl gave her a cold look before picking up the pass and glancing over it, with a sigh she returned the pass and with a wave of her wand a sticker appeared on the desk. Ashlee picked it up and stuck it onto her top.

"The player room is through the door, down the corridor and is to your left"

"Thank you"

Ashlee hurried through the door and found where she was looking for. Knocking on the door to the player's room, she received no reply so she quietly opened the door and snuck in. The room was empty of people and quiet except for the sound of water falling on tile which Ashlee recognized as the sound of the showers running.

Laughter reached Ashlee's ears and she realized that the players where in the showers and on their way back into the changing room. She looked around in a panic for somewhere to hide but found nowhere but a dirty towel hamper that was situated in the middle of the lockers.

Quickly lifting the lid up she climbed in, hid under some towels and closed the lid just as the players entered the room laughing at some joke that was told.

"Seriously Wood, what are you doing with that Antcas?" a deep voice as the laughter died down.

"Yeah, she is like the local village broom" another voice cut in followed by laughter.

"Honestly guys she isn't that bad" Ashlee recognized Oliver's voice through the laughter

"I'd say stick with that other one"

"Yeah, the one with Miles Taylor at Christmas ball"

"Aren't those two together now?"

"No, they're not" Oliver's voice said harshly

"No, need to get your broomstick in a knot Wood. I'm just saying what I have heard"

"Well, you heard wrong" his voice still held the harsh tone

"Why you upset by that man? It's not like you and …is it Ashlee?"

"Yeah"

"Its not like you and her are together is it? I mean you have Antcas"

"It's complicated"

No more was said after that until goodbyes were said to Oliver, realizing that this was the chance she had to speak to him before he got home where that super bint was waiting for him. She quickly jumped up and pushed up the lid to the hamper and scanned the room for Oliver. She had momentarily forgotten that she was in the hamper for a reason, she was faced with mixed faces of shock and horror of the other Quidditch players and no Oliver Wood in the room.

"Erm…Hey guys" she said awkwardly as she climbed out the hamper, "Keep up the good work" she nodded before turning and running from the room. Spotting Oliver down the corridor she shouted out to him and made her way towards him.

"Ashlee? What are you doing here?" he asked shocked that she was here "Shouldn't you be in work?"

"Never mind that" she said as she came up to him and pulled something out her bag "Care to explain this?" she pushed something into his chest.

Pulling the object from her hand Oliver knew what it was instantly, a copy of today's Prophet. "I don't have to explain anything" he dropped the paper on the floor and pushed the door that led back into the reception area.

"You don't have to explain anything? Oliver you have a lot to explain" Ashlee said as she followed him through the door. The reception area now had a dozen tourists in for a guide around the stadium. "We go out then I don't hear from you in days and the next thing I know you're in the papers for getting back with someone you said you would never go back to"

"Well things change"

"I'm aware that they do but I thought this would never happen again"

"Why are you so upset about this? Is it because I never told you?" Oliver had now turned around to face Ashlee and the group of tourists had gone quiet to watch the scene.

"No its not" Ashlee had suddenly realized they had an audience and went to walk to the exit but Oliver stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"They what is it? Are you jealous? You never did like Kayleigh so there must be a reason there"

"Just forget it Oliver you obvious don't care how I feel"

"I don't get what you are going on about Ashlee"

"You kissed me Oliver!" Ashlee pulled her arm away from him as the group and the receptionist gasped at the revelation, "Then you ignore me, I don't see you for days and the next thing I know you're back with Antcas before I can even talk to you about what happened"

"Is that what you're so hung up about? It was a kiss Ashlee nothing more. Get over it, it didn't mean anything"

Again the group and the receptionist gasped as Ashlee looked up at Oliver like he had slapped her.

"Ashlee I didn't mean to say that" Oliver said sorry that he had said that to her

"Too late you said it" the tears where beginning to build in her eyes and she had to get away from him before they fell. She turned to walk away but he caught hold of her again

"Ashlee please"

"I guess our friendship didn't mean anything to you as well"

"Ashlee you know that isn't true"

"I don't know anymore Oliver"

"Don't know what anymore?"

"I don't know you anymore"

"Ashlee-"

"Guess I'll see you around Oliver" pulling her arm away she apparated to her apartment just as the first tear fell.

Arriving at her apartment she threw herself onto her couch just as the waterworks began full force. She sat hugging a cushion to herself as the tears rolled down her face and thought about the argument. She hadn't wanted to end her friendship with Oliver just like that, but after he said that the kiss meant nothing that hit her full force in the face and to her heart.

She hid her feelings towards him well, settling for just friendship because she knew nothing would happen between them and when he kissed her the other night her hopes had built up and she believed that something might happen if they had both been willing to see if it could happen.

But if he was willing to put Kayleigh Antcas before her she wouldn't sit around and watch him get hurt. She wanted nothing to do with him as long as he was with her. If Oliver decided to put their friendship first she would be here when he wanted to but she wasn't going to beg him into doing so.

A light tapping on her window pulled her attention away from her thoughts and she looked up to see a large owl on her window sill. With a tear streaked face she stood up, dropped the cushion and made her way to the window retrieving so owl treats on the way.

After getting her letter, feeding the owl she closed the window and unrolled the letter.

_Dear Miss Stamp,_

_Upon realizing that you did not arrive for work this morning a ministry official checked up to see if you were ok. After receiving no answer at your home, you were tracked at being at Puddlemere United Stadium. _

_It is against company policy for you to undertake your personal issues during work hours and under view from past absents, we are afraid that the company has to let you go. _

_You will receive pay till the end of the working week and your belongings will be sent to your home. Once again we are sorry._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Mr. A Zenith_

_Prophet Offices._

Ashlee read the letter a few times over before crumpling it up in anger and throwing it across the room. She had lost her best friend and her job in less than an hour, today was not her day.

A/N - The news article and letter formatting wouldn't work properly for me so i had to centre them. Please leave a review to let me know that you are enjoying the story.


	5. Can You See Me Now

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun   
Rating - T   
Chapter 5/possible 8  
Pairing - OWOC

A/N - So this chapter has a time jump in it, I don't really like time jumps but it is needed for the direction of the fic. I was planning on finishing this chapter and posting it last night but I had a virus scare and had to shut down everything I was doing to run a scan, it didn't show anything but I had lost the 45 minutes I was hoping to finish the chapter. But I finished it today and here it is. I hope everyone enjoys it and please review, it's my birthday on Tuesday and reviews will be an early birthday treat. x thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter.

_italics - _are thoughts.  
** P**arts beginning in bold like this, indicates a new part of the chapter, the formatting wouldn't let me place the little star in to indicate them.

Chapter Five - Can You See Me Now

Three months later

**A**shlee once again like everyday for the past three months threw aside the useless job section of the Daily Prophet, the only reason she bought the paper was to keep on track of all the new jobs in the wizard world.

After her dismissal from the Prophet offices, Ben had stopped round with all her belongings from her office and the offer if she needed help she knew were he was. He had even offered for her to move into his share room after seeing the state her apartment was in but she politely declined and rarely hears from him now.

She hadn't spoken to Oliver since the argument, Ben did say in an owl he sent that Oliver had stopped by the offices looking for her but she didn't believe him thinking he was only trying to make her feel better. She had no idea where she and Oliver stood now but she stuck by her vow and would not contact him while he was still with Kayleigh.

She had ran from her problems, she went to visit her family for a weekend but ended up staying a month not wanting to go back and face her falling apart life if her family noticed anything they didn't say.

One afternoon she was bored with nothing to do so she decided to explore the small town. The town her family lived in wasn't big but it had all the necessary shops for a family to live comfortably. The most recent shop was a small book shop that her mum said she would of loved when she was young.

Entering the shop, she was greeted with the smell of the musky volumes of old books and the smell of freshly washed windows. The shop was two storey tall and stacks of books upon its shelves, it reminded her of the library at Hogwarts.

She visited the shop everyday, searching the shelves for unread books, her search was interrupted one day by a voice to her left.

"I'm beginning to think you like books a little too much"

Nearly dropping the book she had hold off she looked towards the speaker, "Excuse me?" she asked for lack of anything better to say.

The speaker who appeared to be a man with dark hair that was slightly long so it hung around his face and was unkempt. He had blue eyes and had a cheeky grin on his face.

"I've seen you here nearly everyday. When are you going to move your bed in?" he asked jokingly.

Ashlee laughed and replied with a shrug, "The joys of being unemployed, having nothing to do"

He laughed to and held out his right hand for her to shake, "I'm Jack"

"Ashlee" she replied while shaking his hand.

"So you're unemployed?" he asked, walking through the door behind and signaling for her to do the same. The room was an office of sorts.

"Not by choice, believe me" Ashlee answered as she sat in an offered chair.

"You want a job?"

**S**he loved her job at the book shop but it was so far away from the wizarding world. She had to apparate to her parent's home every morning than walk to the shop. She couldn't talk about the gossip in the wizarding world because no one could know she was a witch and she couldn't gossip about the muggle world because she didn't know any.

Though it kept her busy and she forget her problems she missed her old life of going to the Prophet offices and spending the evenings with Oliver. _No, Ashlee her doesn't think about you so don't think about him._

"'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife' Do you agree Ashlee?"

"Huh?"

"Oh Ashlee, please listen"

"I'm sorry Judi"

"Have you been listening to anything I have said?" Judi asked.

"I don't see how she couldn't have. I could hear you from my office" spoke Jack as he walked down the stairs towards Judi and Ashlee.

"I was just quoting to Ashlee" said Judi.

"Quoting what?" asked Jack.

"Pride and Prejudice"

"Ah, would it happen to be the opening sentence that you quote everyday?"

"Haha Jack, very funny but its true isn't it. Don't you say Ashlee?"

But Ashlee wasn't listening. She was watching the figure that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere outside. "Miles" she gasped as he turned around and entered the stop.

"What?" Judi asked.

"Hello, how can we help?" Jack asked Miles politely.

"Er…I'd like to speak to Ashlee please"

Ashlee stood up shocked and walked towards Miles, who held the door open for her. They walked quietly through the village until Miles broke the silence.

"What are you doing her Ashlee?"

"I work here Miles" she replied.

"In a town, no one knows"

"Obviously it's known if people live and work here"

"You know what I mean. No one from our world"

Ashlee didn't reply and just carried on walking. "Are you avoiding him?"

"I don't know who you're talking about Miles"

He grabbed her arm and forced her to stop, "Stop playing stupid. You know who I'm talking about. Why are you working here? When you should be in the wizarding world"

"Because there is nothing there for me" she pulled her arm away as she spoke harshly to him, "You know the story, and everyone does. Oliver doesn't want to know me, I get nasty looks from witches I don't even know. All I am to them is some girl who wanted to get with a Quidditch star"

"Ashlee -"

"No, Miles you don't understand"

"Then explain it to me"

"No, you wont -" Ashlee didn't finish. She only shook her head, "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Looking for you"

"Why? You don't even know me Miles"

"Let me. Come on we'll go to Hogsmeade for a drink"

**"H**ow is he?"

"Oliver? He's ok I guess. I don't really speak with him"

"Oh, are he and Antcas -"

"Yeah, they are"

They were sat in the Three Broomsticks, Ashlee sat staring into the bottom of her butterbeer mug trying to be happy but failing.

"I have something to ask you Ashlee, I know you might not want to but I'm hoping you won't say no" he looked at her, to find she was looking up at him expectantly. "The Quidditch awards are at the weekend and I would be honored if you were my date?" he asked.

"Miles, I -"

"I understand why you're going to say no but if you decide to go it will show you're not scared to shy away from all this mess. It will prove to Wood you can be happy"

Ashlee sat listening to Miles and realized he had a good point. Going would prove to Oliver she didn't need him, she had got on with her life without him in it.

"I don't have anything to wear" she said.

"I'll sort that"

"No Miles, I couldn't let you"

"I want to"

He smiled so brightly at her she couldn't help but grin back.

**T**he next day, Ashlee was up and ready for the time Miles said he was coming to pick her up. For the first time in awhile she was happy to be going out. When he knocked on her door, she quickly opened, stepped out and closed the door before he could see inside.

"Hello" she said cheerfully.

"Hello" he replied, "Someone is in a happy mood"

"Well, I thought about what you said. I can be happy without Oliver Wood and I will be happy without him"

Miles laughed as she looped her arm through his. He was happy, she was finally opening up for him and not pushing him away.

"Now this dress is not to be fancy or expensive. Got it?" she said to him.

"I'm holding no promises"

"Miles, you can't do that"

"It's my money and I can spend it the way I want"

"And there are better things to spend it on than me"

"Shut it, we're going to me stylist -"

"You have a stylist?" she said with a giggle.

"Don't laugh missus. Every Quidditch star has a stylist"

"If you say so"

"I do, anyway after we get your dress or robes -"

"Oooh, I get a choice"

"Then we will go for some lunch"

They walked in comfortable silence the short distance from Ashlee's flat to The Leaky Cauldron. As Miles went to walk through the entrance, Ashlee stopped him with a tug of his arm.

"Miles, can't we go somewhere else?" she asked dreading stepping into the pub.

"Ashlee" he walked up to her and placed both hands on her cheeks forcing her to look up at him "We spoke about this. Sooner or later you're going to have to step back into the wizarding world"

"I was hoping it was going to be later"

"Well it's today or the awards tomorrow up to you"

Taking a deep breath, Ashlee looked towards the entrance. "Today, let's go"

**"M**iles, I can't believe you bought it behind my back!" exclaimed Ashlee as they sat at inside Florean Fortescuse's Ice Cream Parlour.

"You looked beautiful in it, I wasn't about to let you buy some robes instead of it. Was I?" Miles replied as he scooped more of his ice cream onto his spoon.

"But it was so expensive Miles. No one has ever spent that much on me before"

"Consider it an early Christmas present" Ashlee laughed as she scooped her own ice cream on her spoon, "Besides it will be worth it" Miles continued looking out the window.

"Be worth what?" she asked.

"You're making your entrance back into the wizarding world. You'll be on my arm and will look magnificent" Miles looked at her when he said the last part, Ashlee who had been about to eat her ice cream was stunned at his comment and ended up pushing her spoon into her nose.

"Miles-"

"You have ice cream on your nose" he said laughing, picking up his napkin and gently wiping the ice cream from her nose. His hand slowly finished wiping it away and came to a rest against her cheek. Ashlee was too shocked to move and stared hopelessly at him as his thumb started to stroke her cheek. "Ashlee", Miles spoke so softly she could hardly hear what he said, not that she was bothered at the moment in time his hand holding her cheek and the way he was moving slowly towards her left her speechless.

She felt like she wasn't in her body but watching the scene as a stranger, what was she doing? She had feeling for Oliver not Miles. _But Oliver doesn't want to know you_. That was true, and Miles had been looking out for her all along. Ashlee felt herself slowly start to move towards Miles and shut her eyes in anticipation of what was to come.

Only it didn't, a loud bash was heard and Miles pulled away from her quickly. Blinking her eyes open she looked at Miles who was looking at something behind her. Spinning around, she froze in her seat as she took in the figure standing in front of her.

Kayleigh Antcas was standing at the door to the parlour. Her shopping bags dropped around her feet and she had a shocked look on her face. Ashlee slowly gathered her bags together and stood. Sending a smile to Miles, and held out her hand for him to take. Which he did.

"Antcas" she said in manner of greeting.

"Stamp! What are you doing here?" she snapped back at Ashlee, as she and Miles headed towards the door.

"Not that it's any of your business but shopping" Ashlee spoke coldly back as Miles gave her hand a squeeze in reassurance that he was there for her.

Kayleigh gave Ashlee a disgusted look and turned her attention to Miles, "You're shopping with this outcast Taylor? I though you valued your reputation more than this"

Miles only smiled in return before pulling his hand from Ashlee's and placing it on her lower back, "Excuse us" was all he said as he led Ashlee from the shop back into the busy Alley. They walked silently up the Alley till The Leaky Cauldron came into view. "I hope that didn't spoil your day?"

Ashlee laughed and stopped so she could face him, "Are you kidding? I used to live for my confrontations with her. It used to be the highlight of the day to wind her up"

She smiled at him as he gently pulled her forwards to him by the hand resting on her back. "About what nearly happened before?" he quietly asked.

"What about it?" she asked back.

"Did I… Where we…I – Oh Merlin I don't know what to say"

Ashlee laughed, she had never seen Miles Taylor, one of the greatest chasers speechless before and so she told him. He laughed back and blushed slightly.

"Yes, Miles. We were" she said answering his unspoken question. He looked at her shocked before a small smile appeared on his face. She smiled back and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow"

"Yes, I'll pick you up around six"

Ashlee nodded before pulling back and heading home.

Please review x x


	6. Singing Such A Sad Song

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun  
Rating - T  
Chapter 6/possible 8  
Pairing - OWOC

** P**arts beginning in bold like this, indicates a new part of the chapter, the formatting wouldn't let me place the little star in to indicate them.

A/N - The quidditch names are not mine, they are however JKR's. I borrowed the names to fit in with the story whether I have used them on the correct timeline, I don't know but I have used them to fit with the story's timeline.

Hopefully this chapter doesn't look to messed up, I lost all the formating when I uploaded the document. So apologies for the lack of updates. I had some free time and decided to finish this chapter off, Chapter Seven is planned but nothing is currently written. I'm trying to determine what way to take the next chapter. I shall ask opinions at the end of the chapter, so for now. Enjoy lol.   


Chapter Six - Singing Such A Sad Song  


"**I**'m really going to do this" Ashlee spoke aloud to herself as she stood in her bedroom.

"Of course you are dear, and it's about time too" her mirror said back to her reflection. "You also look stunning"

"You're just saying that because it's your job to"

"Well yes but you do look stunning dear"

Ashlee won't agree that she looked stunning but she didn't look terrible. The dress that Miles had bought for her without her knowing fitted her perfectly. It hugged the top part of her body and was loose from the waist to mid thigh, it was fitted at the top with addable straps if needed. The dress was deep purple colour and had no detail except a small sequined strip that ran around the dress.

She had completed the outfit by buying decorated brown heeled shoes and a small brown throw. She had also dug out a small brown bag that her mother had given her so she was able to keep her wand handy. She had straightened her hair so it fell to mid back and added a few curls here and there.

After giving herself one last look in the mirror, she left her bedroom and headed into the kitchen where she left her wand on the counter. "One minute to six Ashlee, prepare yourself" she spoke aloud to herself as she placed her wand in her bag. As the clock struck six, a knock sounded on the front door. "Come in" she called out. "Hey Miles"

"Good evening, Miss Stamp" Miles greeted with a bow and a smile.

"Good evening, Sir" she replied as she walked to greet him. She had to admire that he did look handsome with his formal robes on, his scruffy hair was unruly as always, his attempts at taming it obviously didn't work. In his hand he held a single rose, "Is that for me?" she asked.

Offering it to her, he replied "It is" as she held out her hand to take it from him. He caught her hand with his own and raised it to his lips. She smiled at him in return before pulling her hand back so she could go put the rose in a vase of water. "Are you excited about the evening?" he called out to her.

"Ecstatic", was her reply from the kitchen.

"I've known you long enough to know that, that was sarcastic"

Coming back from the kitchen, she stood in front of him as he looked at her waiting an answer. "I'm just a little unsure about it"

"We went through it all, you have nothing to be afraid of"

"I know but…" she trailed off as she looked at her carpet.

Capturing her chin with his hand, he gently lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. "I'll look after you" he said gently. Staring into his eyes, she knew he would but that still didn't stop the butterflies in her stomach, from fluttering madly from the nervousness she had had all day, in fact the look only made them worse.

Slowly he moved towards and gently pressed his lips to hers, she stood still, to shocked to move until he pulled back and cleared his throat. "Well we best get going"

Nodding, she picked up her bag and placed her hand on his arm ready for side long apparition. "You look stunning by the way" he spoke before he apparated them away.

They appeared outside the building the awards where being held in. Immediately they were blinded by the flashes of the photographer's cameras. Ashlee looked around in a daze at the amount of press waiting at the beginning of a black carpet covered in gold stars. With little black and white dots dancing in front of her eyes, she felt Miles tug her towards the carpet.

"Just smile and answer no questions" he whispered in her ear, as they paused to pose for some photographers.

"Miles!"

"Miles, who is your date?"

"Are you hoping to win any awards tonight Miles?"

"Miles -"

Questions followed Ashlee and Miles up the special rolled out black and gold star carpet that was only rolled out for major Quidditch events. They passed other Quidditch stars, being interviewed by reporters and posing for different photographers. It wasn't until that reached the oak doors to the building that Ashlee let out the breath of air she didn't realize she was holding.

"That wasn't too bad, was it?" asked Miles, looking at her with concern.

"Well it could have been worse" she replied fixing her wrap that had slipped during the walk, retaking Miles' arm she let herself be guided to wherever they had to go. "How many awards are being given out tonight?"

"Erm…I'm not entirely sure on the number, around 20 I think"

"Do you know if you are nominated for any?"

"They used to send an owl out telling you if you were nominated, but the press used to intercept them so they stopped sending owls. You find out on the night"

"So we could be in for some shocks then"

Miles laughed at her comment as the reached the main hall, which held a stage at the end of the room with a large screen hovering in the centre that was displaying different players and teams. The rest of the room was filled with tables, while candles hovered around giving the room a golden glow. "I guess we are" Miles replied.

They were stopped by a large man holding a clipboard at the entrance to the hall. "Name and team please?" he asked with a deep Welsh accent.

"Miles Taylor, Puddlemere United"

The man scanned the long list looking for the name, "Found you, Puddlemere's table is the second in from the wall"

"Thank you"

Miles led Ashlee into the room and began the way down to the table when Ashlee stopped him, "Miles can we not sit somewhere else?" she asked looking towards the table with apprehension.

"Afraid not, all the teams have to sit together"

"You just left that little note out when you asked me to come"

"I knew you wouldn't otherwise", still seeing the look of unease on her face he continued. "There's a chance you won't even sit together or even talk to him"

"Fine" she said with a defeated face, she couldn't really say no to Miles. Not after everything he had done for her over the past week. "If you don't win an award Taylor, you're taking me for ice cream everyday this week"

Miles laughed as he replied his agreement to her requested. Looping his arm back through hers, he led the way to the table which was full except their two seats. Already noted Oliver's appearance at the table, Ashlee took several calming breaths as they got closer and closer to the table.

"Great, that is just my luck" she spoke in a low tone to Miles.

"What is?" asked Miles oblivious to the situation.

"The seating at the table is boy-girl, boy-girl"

Miles looked over at the table and realized her problem, "Okay so you may have to speak to him if you are sitting next to him"

"The ice cream agreement has just escalated to a higher price"

He laughed as she plastered a fake smile on her face as the approached the table. "Good evening everybody" Miles greeted the table as he pulled out a seat for Ashlee, smiling at the table – _and doing her best to ignore Oliver _– she took the proffered seat. "Ashlee, I'm sure you know all the players" Ashlee nodded her reply as she took a sip of the water that was on the table, determined not to let Oliver's presence besides her affect her.

"Always the gentleman, Miles" replied one of the players across the table.

"Unlike you Kev" replied the player's date next to him. Now Ashlee knew who he was, Kevin Lyons the seeker on the team. "You didn't even pull my chair out, just sat yourself down and left me to it"

"Oliver pulled my chair out, didn't you dear?" a voice that Ashlee didn't want to hear joined the conversation. The team turned the eyes towards the couple waiting for Oliver's reply to Kayleigh's question. He was saved from answering when the lights dimmed and the announcer for the evening came onto the stage.

**T**o say she was bored was an understatement, twelve awards had been given out and not one of them went to players or teams she knew. She had given up all hope of falling asleep when Miles took her hand and was gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, she smiled at him as another award was accepted from a player that spoke so fast she didn't catch a word they said.

"Now its time for the final and most important awards. To present the Upcoming Player of the Year award please welcome ex Caption of the Heidelberg Harriers, Rudolf Brand" the audience clapped as Rudolf came on stage.

"Evening" he spoke in his Germany accent, "The Upcoming Player of the Year, is a player that has shone out against all the rest. The player has shown his usefulness to his team and should continue the same outstanding performance throughout his career. The nominees are:"

The screen on the stage became alive as the voiceover of the woman announced the nominees, "Steven Connolly - Beater for the Montrose Magpies, Marcus Flint - Chaser for the Wimbourne Wasps, Meghan McCormack - Keeper for Pride of Portee, Miles Taylor - Chaser for Puddlemere United and Tim Urquhart - beater for the Tutshill Tornados"

"The award goes to -" Rudolf spoke as he picked up the red envelope that contained the winner, "Miles Taylor of Puddlemere United" the audience and the Puddlemere table cheered as Miles stood up in a daze shock, smiling happily he stooped down to kiss Ashlee on the cheek before heading towards the stage. Ashlee turned to watch him accept the award and found Oliver watching her with an unreadable expression on his face, turning away from him she watched as Miles took the award from Rudolf and shook his hand. He gave a little speech but she didn't hear one word, she was too distracted trying to determine what the expression on Oliver's face meant. _Did he miss her?_

"Please welcome Maximus Brankovitch from the Fitchburg Finches to present the Player of the Year award" Miles came back to the table with his new award as the announcer welcomed the next presenter.

"Having won this awards many times over the years," spoke Maximus, "I know what it means to have this award given to you and displayed at home. The nominees are:"

Again the screen came alive and displayed the nominees, "Basil Horton – Chaser for the Falmouth Falcons, Joey Jenkins – Chaser for the Chudley Cannons, Aidan Kely – Seeker for the Kenmare Kestrels, Alasdair Maddock – Chaser for the Montrose Magpies and Oliver Wood – Keeper for Puddlemere United"

"And the winner -" announced Maximus, he opened the envelope and nodded his approval before speaking, "For his outstanding performance since he won the Upcoming Player last year, Oliver Wood" Oliver stood up smiling at the thanks the table directed at him and the cheers from the room, he headed up towards the stage to accept his award thanking people as he went.

"Doesn't look like she is too happy" whispered Miles indicating towards Kayleigh who was sitting down with a scowl on her face. Ashlee shook her head to agree with him and smiling at her when she looked towards them.

After Oliver had returned to his seat and the cheers had calmed down the announcer thanked everyone for attending and congratulated the winners. Though she wasn't exactly on great terms with Oliver, she congratulated him on his award before following Miles back outside.

"Would you like to have something to eat before heading home?" Miles asked as they got clear of all the press.

"No thanks, I would rather just get home sorry" she replied.

"Sure, it's no problem"

He apparated them back outside her apartment and she smiled up at him, "Thanks for the evening Miles. I had a surprisingly good time"

"See, no one pointed or stared at you. They have juicer gossip to talk about now"

"That's true"

"Ashlee -" Miles began but stopped as she looked at him.

"Yes Miles?"

Taking a deep breath, he took one of her hands and looked her in the eye, "I know this isn't the best time but I have feelings for you Ashlee. I don't want to push you into anything that you don't want, but I had to tell you. It was driving me insane not telling you"

"Oh Miles, I don't know what to say"

"You don't have to say anything, just promise you'll think about what we could be like together"

"Okay"

"Goodnight Ashlee" he kissed her cheek and disapparated.

"**J**udi, you don't understand the problem" said Ashlee exasperated, Judi had asked Ashlee for details on why Miles stopped by the shop last week and rather than keep all the thoughts that were threatening to make her brain explode she told Judi about the Oliver and Miles situation with edited bits.

"What is there to understand?" Judi replied as she stocked the shelves with new books, "You like this guy, he doesn't like you, so you move on. Some other guy likes you and you won't move on"

"Judi -"

"Ashlee, do you truly believe something will happen with this guy?"

"What guy? Oliver or Miles?"

"This Oliver"

"No, I don't but things have changed now. Since we kissed the feelings I had for him doubled"

"But he said the kiss doesn't mean anything"

"I know, but -"

"No buts Ashlee. This Miles likes you and obviously wants to try and have a relationship with you. Why are you holding back?" Judi came to stand in front of her as Ashlee thought over why she was holding back with Miles. Sure she liked him but as much as Oliver means to her?

"I guess I'm hoping Oliver will change his mind"

"Move on sweetie"

Ashlee watched as Judi moved up the stairs to deliver Jack something in the office. She should move on, Oliver wasn't going to suddenly change his mind and decide he wanted her over Antcas. However much she hoped, it wasn't going to happen, Miles liked her so she would give it a try.

She apparated straight home after her shift in the book store with the intention of sending Miles an owl telling him about her decision. That all changed however when she arrived outside her apartment to see Oliver sitting outside her door.

"Oliver?" she asked walking slowly towards him.

"Finally, I've been sitting outside here for just on an hour" he replied standing up and dusting himself off.

"What do you want Oliver?" she questioned as she dug into her bag to find her keys.

"Can we talk inside please?"

Not answering she unlocked the door and walked in leaving the door open for him to shut. Throwing her bag and coat onto the couch she didn't to face him as he shut the door. "Do you want a drink or something?"

"Erm…tea please" he replied casting his eyes around the room to survey the disrepair her apartment was in. She watched him from the kitchen as he picked up a photo of the tow of them that was on the window sill as she waited for the kettle to boil.

Placing the cup of tea on the table she sat on the couch waiting for him to speak. When he continued to look out the window, she gave up waiting and asked, "What are you doing here Oliver?"

"I came to see you" was his reply as he turned from the window to face her. "I want to know about you and Taylor"

"You came to see me to ask about Miles?"

"That's one reason"

"What are the others?"

He came and took a seat next to her on the couch, "Where have you been Ashlee? I've missed you"

"Obviously you haven't missed me that much, if you didn't come find me"

"That's not fair, you know I'm busy with practice"

"And Antcas" Ashlee added in a cold tone.

"Don't bring Kayleigh into"

"Why not? She is the cause for all our arguments, why not this one too" not being able to stand sitting next to him she stood and moved to the window he was stood at moments before. "You have only bothered to get in touch with me since the awards. So what changed  
Oliver?"

"I told you, I want to know what is going on between Taylor and you"

"Is that all? You don't care how I lost my job, had to borrow money from my parents to pay the rent to the apartment, how I have had to get a job in a muggle book store because they don't know the history between us so they cant judge me, how I have had to cope with losing my best friend"

"Ashlee -"

"No Oliver, you don't get a say anymore" she watched him as he remained silent, "There is nothing going on between me and Miles. Why? Because I'm so confused for my feelings for you that Miles is just being strung along. But no more Oliver, I'm moving on"

"I don't want you seeing Taylor"

"Why? You don't obviously don't want me, you can't stop me from seeing him"

"I do -"

"Don't Oliver!" she shouted suddenly at him to stop him from what he was about to say, "Don't say it"

"Ashlee, please"

"I'm moving on, I'm going to be happy with Miles"

Oliver stood and walked to stand in front of her, "He will not make you happy"

"And you will?" he looked down at the carpet away from her eyes, "You're confused over who you want Oliver but you need to decide before more people get hurt"

"You won't wait till I have decided"

"No, I won't. So you need to decide soon" she turned away from him and it wasn't until she heard the telltale sign of someone disapparating, that she broke down and cried.

* * *

I need opinions, should the guy chase after the girl or the girl after the guy? Please review x 


	7. So Sick Of Being Lonely

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun  
Rating - T  
Chapter 7/8  
Pairing - OWOC

** Parts** beginning in bold like this, indicates a new part of the chapter, the formatting wouldn't let me place the little star in to indicate them.

A/N - I haven't had the internet for the past two weeks ( but it did allow me to spend time on this chapter. I am proud of this chapter for some reason, i'm hoping you'll like it just the same. I have the final chapter completed, just some little tweaks to it and it will be posted within the week.

Chapter Seven – So Sick Of Being Lonely

**The** picture on the front of the Daily Prophet wasn't exactly her greatest picture. The young woman was sat on the side of a street road, crying. Her dress was ruined by red wine, her prefect hair that she had paid 5 galleons to have done was hanging lifeless and stuck to the side of her face and neck due to the rain, her mascara had run down her face whether due to the rain or tears the reader couldn't tell. Accompanying the picture was an article underneath:

'_Report by Gaby Leighton'_

_The above picture is the opposite of what this young woman  
was like four to five months ago. Sat smiling in a restaurant  
having just got back together with this year's 'Best Player of  
the Year in Quidditch' Kayleigh Antcas was living the perfect  
life until now._

_My sources tell me that Miss Antcas had arrived at the chosen  
restaurant by Mr Wood, for what she believes would have been  
the best night of her life, Mr Wood was going to propose.  
_

_Miss Antcas sat and waited for the moment that was never to  
come, Mr Wood arrived late and offered no excuse as to why.  
They ordered their food and ate in silence, as opposed to their  
other meals together full of whispering and hand holding. Finally  
after an hour, Mr Wood started up the conversation._

_Details of the actually conversation, could not be heard. However  
what was said wasn't happy news, Miss Antcas reacted to the  
news by throwing her wine over Mr Wood and running from the  
restaurant in tears. She was later found outside where our picture  
was snapped.  
_

_Neither person has been available to comment but we have a  
feeling that this romance hasn't reached the end of its bumpy  
road yet._

She didn't mean to smile, she really didn't. But she did anyway and was unable to hide it. "I would think me being prodded and pinned, would not be a smiling moment" a voice broke through her happy mood.

Looking towards the owner of the voice, seeing Miles Taylor standing on a stool being fitted for a suit wasn't a smiling moment, the suit being pink was and so Ashlee told him.

"It's not pink" Miles replied with glare towards her.

"Then what colour is it?" she asked placing the paper in her bag, she was going to it as a memory to the day Oliver finally got rid of the most troublesome issue in his life.

"Fuchsia" Miles said with an affirmative nod and a smug smile.

"Which is a shade of pink" Ashlee laughed at him as he realised him mistake. When he realised the woman fitting him was laughing as well, he gave her a glare as well. "Oh don't sulk Miles, you don't want the press to see that"

"Humph" Miles replied as he continued to sulk. Ashlee laughed at him once more before taking a look around the little dress shop. Miles had told her that Kevin Lyons was getting married and he was to be the best man, his was told to come to this store to get a fitting and had dragged Ashlee along with him. She hadn't told Miles that Oliver had been to see her last week, that was a conversation she wanted to avoid at all costs.

She had finally decided that she wouldn't wait for Oliver, she would be happy with Miles. She hadn't told Miles that she wanted more than a friendship with him, she wasn't exactly sure that she did. Being happy was once thing, being in a relationship that could be doomed from the beginning was another.

Now, after she had made her decision, Oliver decides to do something about it. Did breaking up with Antcas mean he wanted to be with Ashlee? Or did he just want his best friend back? He hadn't said he wanted to be with her, she stopped him before he said something he would regret. Why couldn't it all be as simple as it used to be? In school all she had to worry about was her grades and whether her crush liked her, if they didn't she moved on. But Oliver was always there to cheer her up.

"If you keep frowning like that, your face will get stuck" a voice, a very familiar one broke though her thoughts. She turned to face the very person she had been thinking about.

"Hello Oliver" she greeted him with a small smile.

"Hey" he replied in the same manner, "What brings you here?" he asked.

"I -" she started and looked around him to see Miles had disappeared from the stool he was standing on. "Well, I did come with Miles but seems to have disappeared"

"Miles?"

"Yes, Miles"

"You're still with him then?" He tried to make it seem a nonchalant question but Ashlee could detect the jealousy in his tone.

"I wasn't with him to begin with Oliver, you know that"

"You could have fooled me"

"Are you jealous Oliver?" she asked in a teasing tone and a smile on her face, it felt like the old days when they used to tease each other over who fancied who.

"Maybe" Oliver replied with a little smirk before he turned to face the suits beside him. "Did you see the Prophet today?"

Ashlee blinked at his rapid change of subject but replied as she turned with him to see what suits he was looking at. "Yeah, I did"

"And?"

"And, what?"

"What do you think?"

"You're free at last"

Oliver laughed at her remark and turned to face her, "I've missed you Ash"

"Really?" Ashlee didn't want to talk about this, they had been getting along fine until he had to change the topic. She didn't want to think about it let alone talk about it.

"Yeah, I just want us to go back like we used to be"

"Oliver, you know that isn't going to happen"

"Why not? You're my best friend Ash"

"Too much has changed Oliver, we aren't the same as we used to be"

"We don't have to go back to the way we used to be" he turned to face her, so he could see her reaction to what he was saying.

"Oliver -"

"No, Ashlee I mean it. I realised after I left your apartment last week, how much you mean to me. Kayleigh has nothing on what you mean to me. I want to be with you"

"Stop Oliver, stop" she grabbed her bag from the seat she was sitting on, without bothering to see where Miles was she ran from the shop with Oliver following her.

"Ashlee you can't run away from this" Oliver grabbed her arm before he lost her to the crowd and pulled her back to him.

"Why not? You ran from it, why can't I do the same?"

"Because I won't let you" he pulled her closer as she struggled to run away again, "You can fight this however much you want Ashlee but we both now what the outcome is going to be"

"Fight what Oliver? You made it pretty clear to me that you want nothing more than friendship with me. I'm not going through it all again"

Oliver looked at her before letting go of her arm, Ashlee started to back away until she felt his arm slide around her waist before she was pulled more forcefully against him. "Does this seem like friendship to you?" without giving her a chance to reply, he bent his head towards her and caught her lips. Sliding his other arm around her, he held her tight to his body as his mouth pressed against hers. Ashlee caught her breath, as her hand rose in a weak protest beside her. Suddenly she was clinging to him, his lips were gentle and probing against hers. She closed her eyes against the outside world, willing herself not to want him so much, all that existing was her and him.

This was wrong, she knew it. After all they had gone through, to suddenly be kissing in the middle of Diagon Alley. Snapping her eyes open, she pushed him away from her. He looked at her in shock, shock because he kissed her or shock because she pushed him away, she didn't know and she didn't care at the moment. With a fearfully look at him, she turned and ran knowing that he wouldn't follow this time.

**"Ashlee"**

The call came with a loud knock on her door, she knew he would come looking for her. She had left the shop without telling him she was going, he had no idea Oliver was there or what took place. If she thought for one minute she was going to be happy with Miles, she was wrong. That kiss with Oliver had cleared all confusion, she wanted him and she couldn't deny it.

Though the confusion was gone, guilt settled in its place. What about Miles? She can't let him believe something is going to happen if it wasn't going to. She couldn't lead him on until she made her decision, it wouldn't be right. She did have feelings for him, but did they compete with the feelings she had for Oliver?

"Ashlee, I know you're in. Your neighbour said so" Miles banging on her front door brought her back to the present. Sighing, she stood from the couch and shuffled her way to the door wrapped up in her quilt. She opened the door and shuffled back to her spot on the couch without looking at him. "Finally, I was beginning to think you were ignoring me" she heard Miles say followed by the clicking of the front door closing.

She smiled up at him from her spot and offered no excuse for not answering his knocks, "Are you alright?" he asked coming to kneel besides the couch.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied, noticing that he had placed a bag by the end of the table. "Did you get your suit then?" she asked indicating towards the bag.

"What - Oh yeah, I did. My nice pink suit" the look on his face is what told Ashlee, if she were to laugh he wouldn't take it as a joke no more. "Where did you disappear to? I came out the dressing room and you had gone"

Unable to look him in the eye as she lied to him, she turned to look at the afternoon sky out the window. "I didn't feel too good, so I decided to come home. Sorry I didn't say anything"

"Hey" he cupped the side of her face and turned her head towards him, "Its okay, I was just worried that's all"

She smiled her thanks at him, as he continued to look at her in thought. "Would you like to go to dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Not really, perhaps tomorrow night"

"Oh alright, would you like me to stay for awhile?" he offered.

"No Miles, I'm okay. I'm just going to relax and have an early night"

"Oh okay" she didn't have to look at his face to see disappointment, she could hear it in his tone. "Well I'll drop in tomorrow and we can decide on dinner"

"Sounds like a plan" Ashlee replied as she stood up to walk him to the door, watching as he gathered his bag.

"Might as well go show Kev what his wife-to-be wants me to wear"

"Have fun" Ashlee laughed at she opened the door, and standing back to allow room for Miles to get out.

Turning around to face her in the corridor, he asked "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine for the last time. Now get going"

"Alright, I'm going. See you tomorrow then" he swooped down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before leaving with a smile on his face.

Ashlee watched him go, regretting ever giving Miles the wrong idea about them. The confusion that she had earlier had returned along with the guilt.

"You know, dear. I'm beginning to worry about you" a voice spoke out to her as she turned to go back into her apartment.

"Hello, Mrs Brown" Ashlee said with a smile, turning to face the lady who lived across the corridor from her. Mrs Brown had been there since Ashlee moved into the apartment block, they didn't speak to each other much and if they did it was mostly about the weather. Mrs Brown was an aging lady, most of her family had died or moved out the country and she was left alone.

"Hello dear, do you fancy a cup of tea?"

"No, its okay Mrs Brown"

"I insist, please I would like to talk to you" the old lady turned back into her apartment leaving the door open for Ashlee to follow in. "Take a seat dear" she called from the kitchen as Ashlee closed the door and headed to the lounge.

Mrs Brown was a typical old muggle lady. Her lounge was stuffed full of old antiques that she had collected over the years, photographs that didn't move lined all the available surfaces in the room and on the walls. Ashlee was also sure she had seen more then two cats in the kitchen as she walked in.

"Here you are dear, nice cup of tea for you" Ashlee smiled as Mrs Brown passed a cup to her, "Now then, I would like to talk to you about something that has been concerning me for awhile"

"Okay, is everything okay Mrs Brown?"

"Oh yes dear, it isn't anything to do with me" Mrs Brown smiled as she placed her cup on the table besides her and turned to Ashlee with a sigh. "It's about you dear"

"Me?" Ashlee asked, placing her cup on the side as well, "I'm perfectly fine Mrs Brown"

"Are you?" Mrs Brown asked suspiciously.

"Yes"

"I would beg to differ dear. I've seen those men come and go from your apartment. Are you -" Mrs Brown looked down at Ashlee's stomach before looking back up at her face, "in 'trouble'?"

Ashlee stared at Mrs Brown not quite believing what the old woman was saying or trying to say. "Mrs Brown, are you trying to ask if I'm pregnant?"

"Well dear, if you want to put it that way. Then yes I am" Ashlee had to laugh, she couldn't stop herself before she did. "I don't think this is a laughing matter dear" Mrs Brown added in a scolding tone.

"No, I'm not pregnant Mrs Brown"

"But dear, those men that come by your apartment. The young man last week, sat outside for nearly two hours. Don't tell me he stopped by just for tea and cake" Mrs Brown completed her insinuation with raised eyebrows, while Ashlee looked at her in astonishment. "And that young man before, banging on your door for just on half an hour"

"Mrs Brown, I don't think who I invite to my apartment is any of your business"

"Dear, its okay. I was in your situation when I was your age, I had no money for all the things I wanted or what I wanted to do. You can't get a job, I understand dear. I do"

"You don't understand, I'm fine. I have money and a job" Ashlee protested but she might as well talk to Mrs Brown's cats, the old lady wasn't taking any notice of what Ashlee was saying.

"I would tell those men to get lost, and leave you be. You have enough on your plate with them knocking at you door when they want"

"I don't need to listen to this" Ashlee said as she stood up and headed towards the door.

"I think you do dear, I can't let you give this apartment block a bad name. It isn't just me noticing the young men"

"Mrs Brown, you know nothing of my life. I would greatly appreciate if you kept your nose out of my business" Ashlee was so angry, she slammed Mrs Brown's door shut before slamming her own shut. With tears sliding down her face, she sunk to the floor back in her own apartment. If this is what Mrs Brown thought of her situation, what did everyone else think?

**She** hadn't dressed up for dinner like Miles asked, she was going to go in her jeans and t-shirt. She was going to listen to what he wanted to say and then she was going to tell him she didn't want to see him no more. She couldn't live like this no more, torn between him and Oliver. She liked Miles, she really did but Oliver had opened all the doors to one of her dreams becoming a reality.

If there was anyone she wanted to be with, it was Oliver. Of course, she wouldn't admit it until he finally admitted his feelings to her. She didn't want 'more than friendship' or 'I want you', she knew what she wanted and she knew he did as well.

"I don't think that it possible love"

"What would you know, you're a mirror" Ashlee replied her voice muffled by the clothes of the wardrobe she was digging in.

"I prefer the term looking-glass" replied the voice of her mirror.

"Whatever, Miles can't give me what I want. Oliver can. Simple as"

"Is it? Mr. Wood doesn't even know!"

"He knows"

Ashlee emerged with the black jacket she had been looking for. Pulling the jacket on, she flicked her hair out from it's confides of the jacket. Smiling one last time at her appearance, she left to head to The Leaky Cauldron.

She wasn't too naive to know that the three little words, she wanted to hear would solve all her life problems. She wanted Oliver to say the words because she knew he felt them, if she was certain of anything, it was that she knew her best friend. Even if he had been a jerk over the past couple of months.

After her conversation with Mrs Brown, she knew she couldn't continue in the rut she was in. With Miles for the sake of it or to make Oliver jealous, if Oliver did want to be with her she would gladly be with him but she wanted everything wiped clean and the truth told. The beginning of that was with Miles.

"Running off to meet Lover Boy?" she knew who that cold voice belonged to without having to look at the owner.

"I've told you before jealousy, doesn't suit you" she turned to face the owner who stood off to the side of the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron. There in the dim light stood Kayleigh Antcas.

"Oliver doesn't want you. We both know it"

"Do we?" Ashlee countered with a smirk. "When was the last time you spoke to Oliver?"

Kayleigh looked at Ashlee with a frightened look on her face, but the moment Ashlee blinked it was gone and replaced with anger. Giving Kayleigh a glare, Ashlee turned and entered The Leaky Cauldron casting her eyes around for Miles. Spotting him she began to make her way over to him, before she was pulled back by someone tugging her hair.

"You can never have him!" Kayleigh screeched as she pulled Ashlee back to her, a fist full of hair, "He's going to realise what you really are and hate you" Ashlee struggled to get herself free as she felt Kayleigh let go of her hair and made to slap her face. Ashlee's face tingled with the anticipation of the slap that never came. Opening her eyes, that she didn't realise she closed, she seen Oliver holding Kayleigh's arm at a safe distance from her face. Catching her breath, she stumbled backwards away from Kayleigh only to fall against Miles who had come to her rescue a little too late.

"What the hell where you thinking?" she cried to Kayleigh, who only continued to glare at Ashlee.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked, letting go of Kayleigh's arm and stepping towards Ashlee.

"What do you care Wood?" Miles spoke before she had a chance.

"A lot more than you do Taylor"

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Going to do something about?"

Stepping out from behind Ashlee, he took a step towards Oliver. "Why not"

"Stop! Just Stop" Ashlee shouted, stepping between them. "It's not even worth it. I'm not worth it" she glared at them both, before pushing her way out through the crowd to get out of the busy pub into Diagon Alley.

"Ashlee! Wait!" she heard Miles shout after her, followed by two lots of foot step. Miles hadn't come out alone. "Wood, I've told you to get lost once. I won't say it again"

"Bugger off Taylor!"

Ashlee stopped her feeble chance at escaping and turned around to face the two of them. "What do you want?"

"You" Oliver was the quickest to reply, although the answer didn't surprise her after yesterday's conversation.

"As if she would have you Wood" snorted Miles. Oliver replied with a smug smirk at Miles, who frowned and looked at Ashlee, "Would you?" he asked.

"No. Yes. I don't know" Ashlee was bewildered she knew what she wanted an hour ago and now she wasn't sure at all. "I'm so sick of being lonely Miles"

"You're not lonely. You have me" Miles replied in a hurt tone.

"Have I? Be honest, you're not just trying to get with me to make Oliver or even Felicia jealous?"

"Felicia?"

"Oh, come on Taylor. We have all heard the rumours" Oliver added in.

"And you Oliver. Do you want me because you can't have me?" Ashlee asked turning her attentions to Oliver.

"No"

"Are you sure? You wanted nothing to do with me a couple of months ago, I start to get noticed for being with Miles and you turn around"

"That's because I was blind"

Miles gave a cruel laugh before facing Ashlee, "You believe this hogwash?"

"Ashlee, please" Oliver stepped forward to take hold of Ashlee's hand. "I got back with Kayleigh, to hide the feelings I had for you that I was too scared to admit. I didn't want to ruin the friendship we had if you didn't feel the same back"

"Afterwards Oliver, you knew I did feel the same. Yet you did nothing"

"You were gone. I didn't know what else to do" Looking finally into his eyes, she knew he wouldn't lie to her. She knew her best friend very well.

"Ashlee" Miles spoke stepping forward as well, "I love you"

Ashlee gasped at Miles words as Oliver dropped her hand and backed away from her. She blinked unbelievably at Miles, who smiled back. "I have loved you from the moment I met you, I've tried not to push you in the past few months. I won't lose you now"

"Miles, you don't mean that"

"I do, you don't deserve her Wood. You're no worse than those womanising friends of yours"

Whatever Ashlee spoke was drowned out by Miles shout of surprise, when Oliver punched him in the jaw. Miles fell to the ground laughing, "Always resorting to violence Wood, you going to smack Ashlee around as well"

Oliver didn't reply but turned to Ashlee with an unreadable expression on his face, "Let me know when you have made your decision" Stepping close to her, he leaned down and whispered to her. "I'll wait for you because I love you"

* * *

Hopefully it wasn't to bad, please review. I would appreciate everyone's thoughts on this chapter before I post the final chapter D 


	8. A Walk In The Sun

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, anything else you recognise doesn't belong to me neither.

Title - Walk In The Sun  
Rating - T  
Chapter 8/8  
Pairing - OWOC

** Parts** beginning in bold like this, indicates a new part of the chapter, the formatting wouldn't let me place the little star in to indicate them.

A/N - So this is the end. Its not exactly the way I had planned for the story to end, but once it headed in the direction it ends in. I didn't want to change it. I want to thank all the readers and reviewers, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Eight – Walk In The Sun

**Ashlee** looked down at Miles sitting on the ground in the middle of Diagon Alley, with regret. Oliver had disapparated home probably. She really did like Miles but Oliver had just told her what she had been waiting to hear. She could be happy with Oliver if they sorted through all their problems, she would give that relationship a try and fight for it. A relationship with Miles wouldn't work, she hadn't realised how sly he was until she had witnessed the harsh way he spoke to Oliver or the sly looks he gave him. He was a gentleman to her but how was he to every one else out of her company?

"Miles, I'm sorry."

"You're going to run back to him aren't you?" he asked, pulling himself from the ground to face her.

"I have to."

"No you don't Ashlee, you want to. Just say it."

"Fine. Miles, I want to."

She had gotten to know Miles over the few months he had kept her company, and she was grateful to him for it. Over those months she had counted on Miles to be there as she had once counted on Oliver, and she would never forget Miles's friendship, to leave him like this was breaking part of her.

She indicated to Miles to walk with her down Diagon Alley, "I know you don't love me Miles." she said breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them.

"What? I do."

"Do you? Or do just love having me away from everyone's attention?"

"Neither." Miles stopped walking, forcing her to stop as well if she wanted to carry on the conversation.

"Do you love me like you loved Felicia?"

Miles didn't reply instead casting his eyes to the ground, she knew he wouldn't lie to her and that was the reason for him suddenly finding interest in the ground.

"It's okay Miles. I understand."

"No. You don't," sighing he began to walk again, she followed along waiting for him to continue, "When she broke off the engagement, I thought it was because she wasn't ready or we had rushed into things too fast. I asked her why, but she just said that it wasn't right. It didn't feel right." He broke off as they approached a small bench. Ashlee sat down as Miles began to pace in front of her. "I later found out it was because a certain Quidditch star had recently became single."

Ashlee knew who it was, without Miles looking at her. She remembered clearly at the Christmas Ball who Felicia was dancing with. "Oh Miles -" she began to say.

"I don't want your pity Ashlee. I didn't feel sorry for myself when it happened, I just decided to get even."

"Even?"

"Yes, if Oliver Wood could take away the most important person in my life. I would take away his."

Miles gave her a smile that made her want to bring back her lunch, he used her! After all that she had gone through and he knew about it, he still used her to get back at Oliver.

"Of course, I knew Wood had no interest in Felicia. He wanted to be with you, the whole of the Puddlemere team knew it, and I couldn't let that happen. I arranged for Wood to meet Kayleigh at a restaurant, obviously he thought he was meeting you until he got there by then Kayleigh worked her charm and I happen to know a reporter at the Prophet."

"Miles -" Ashlee begun to say. She could feel her anger beginning to rise at his words.

"No, let me finish." he interrupted her, and sat down next to her. "At first, I wanted to get to know you to get back at Wood. He didn't like anyone talking to you or showing interest, it was a prefect way to get back at him." he paused as he turned to look at her, he placed a hand on her leg but she flinched away in anger and disgust at him. "I understand why you're mad Ashlee, believe me. It started out as revenge but it hasn't ended that way."

She couldn't sit next to him, she couldn't even look at him. It was his entire fault, everything was his fault. Her arguments with Oliver, the whispering everywhere she went, her life being hell for the past few months. All because of a revenge plot, that had nothing to do with her to begin with.

"How could you?" she asked, standing away from him and looking back at him with anger and sadness. "You know what I've been through Miles and it all began because of you."

"Ashlee, please -" he stood up and attempted to catch her hand.

"No Miles!" she cried pulling her hand and any of her body parts away from him. "All because of you, I lost everything!"

"Everything has worked out fine for you, hasn't it?" Miles cold tone made her turn back to him. "You have Oliver waiting for you, what are you waiting for?"

"Because I felt sorry for you Miles!" she shouted angrily at him. "I felt sorry, that I had feelings for Oliver but knew that something could happen between you and me if I let it. And I was going to!" tears had begun to fall down her cheeks but she took no notice, "I was seriously considering you and me."

"You obviously didn't consider too much then."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you yesterday, outside the shop Ashlee. I seen and heard everything between you and Wood."

She didn't deny it, she couldn't if he saw what happened then he knew she came to tell him it wasn't going to happen between them. She just added to his hatred towards Oliver.

He gave a cruel laugh when she didn't reply to him, "I suppose it all works out for the best. Wood can finally get his leg over and I can be rid of the daily whining you gave."

The end of his sentence was followed by a slap from Ashlee, she had trusted this man and he had threw it back in her face. Giving him a glare she began to walk back towards The Leaky Cauldron, ignoring the comments Miles was shouting at her. Once out of sight, she apparated home.

**She **knocked one last time, and after receiving no answer she slipped out her wand. After checking around for no witnesses, she whispered "_Alohomora_" and the door swung open. Quickly running inside and closing the door, she looked around at the state of the apartment. It was the messiest she had ever seen it, old Prophet Papers lay scattered on the coffee table, dirty robes were thrown carelessly on the couch and chairs, butterbeer and firewhiskey bottles lay around the floor. The apartment hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

"Oliver!" she called out to the empty room. No reply came as she ducked her head into the kitchen, which was also empty. She made her way to the little hallway that the rest of the rooms leaded off, the bathroom was empty as was the guest bedroom and Oliver's room.

He couldn't be at Quidditch practice as it was Sunday and the team had the day off. He told her that he would wait for her, he knew she would come. So where was he?

She flopped herself down on the couch, looking around the flat. Noticing her image on the table, she leaned forward and picked up one of the many Prophet paper's laying on it. It was a story about her and Miles at the Quidditch Awards, she didn't know that her life was so closely followed as she had stopped reading the Prophet, not wanting to read stories about herself. Placing the paper to the side, she picked up another one that had a story about her and Miles at the Three Broomsticks, sharing a Butterbeer. Another featuring them shopping, another in Florean Fortescuse's Ice Cream Parlour, and another of the other day when they were shopping for Miles suit.

Oliver had been following her life through the papers, no wonder he thought there was more than friendship going on between her and Miles, the Prophet reporters had twisted the friendship into a relationship. The sound of a keys jingling made her jump up, during her attempt of finding somewhere to hide, Oliver had unlocked the door and dumped his bag on the floor beside the door before noticing Ashlee was standing in his living room. Frowning at her, he closed the door and dropped his keys on the coffee table atop the papers.

"How did you get in here?" he asked heading into the kitchen. She sheepishly reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her wand, she wiggled it guilty before replacing it back into her pocket watching him as he pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with juice from the fridge. "Breaking and entering now?" he asked coming to stand against the kitchen door frame.

"I thought you were ignoring me." she replied.

"Why?"

Losing her patience with his little question and answer game, she dropped herself onto the couch saying "I don't know Oliver, I wouldn't talk to me if I was you."

His gaze at her was so intense that she jumped a little when he pulled out his wand from his pocket, her eyes widened, scared that he was going to hex her but all he did was summon his glass to the kitchen sink before walking over to her and offered his hand to her. "Come for a walk in the sun with me."

She glanced up at him with curiosity as she took his hand and he pulled her up to stand. Without letting go of her hand he apparated them out of the apartment.

They appeared in a small park that Ashlee had never been to. By the time she turned around to ask Oliver where they were he had began to walk in the direction of a small lake indicating for her to follow, which she did but a small distance behind him. He spoke no words to her as they reached the lake and walked onto a bridge that ran over the lake.

Oliver stopped in the middle and looked down at the lake, "I used to spend hours at this lake during holidays from Hogwarts," he said in a nostalgic tone, she kept quiet as she followed his gaze to look at the water. "It used to remind me of you"

The nostalgic tone was gone and he was looking directly at her, she looked up at him and noticed that he had the same burning look in his eyes that he had on the night of the Christmas ball when he saw her speaking to Miles.

"Oliver, I -"

"Don't say your sorry Ashlee, I knew what Miles was doing. I just didn't do anything about it till it was too late," he looked away from her again, "I've liked you for so long, and when it finally came for something to happen between us I got scared and ran back to something familiar."

"Kayleigh." was all Ashlee said and watched as he nodded his head.

"She was someone that had nothing to do with you, I could forget about you when I was with her."

"Thanks." she reply sarcastically.

"No, I don't mean it in a bad way." he turned to her and took her hand, pulling her to face and closer to him. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, Kayleigh was a distraction but eventually all I ever thought about was you."

Ashlee didn't realise she was crying until Oliver wiped the tears away from her cheek with his thumb, "I'm sorry for everything Oliver."

"Don't be, it's all over with now."

She nodded into his hand that still held her cheek, "What happens now?" she asked.

"What do you want to happen?" he laughed, "You know how I feel about you, and I know you feel something for me." he smirked at her, nudging her with his shoulder.

She blushed at his playfully tone but smiled up at him, "I think I might love you too."

"You think?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I do then." she laughed.

"Good."

Oliver smirked at her before bending his head towards her, the air suddenly seemed to be charged with million of crackling particles of electricity making Ashlee's mouth tingle with anticipation seconds before Oliver caught her lips with his. Ashlee's mind went dizzy, the kiss with Oliver the other day was good but this one was ten times better. He tasted of toothpaste and butterbeer combined together somehow, her knees felt weak and she nearly lost her footing when his teeth gently raked the softness of her lips, reaching up she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold herself up more as he reached around her waist and pulled her more tighter to him.

After what seemed like an age, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, smiling lazily at her "I might love you too."

"You best do." she replied reaching up to kiss him again.

"What about Taylor?" he asked after he pulled back.

"What about him?" she replied.

"He isn't going to pop up one day and try and murder us."

Laughing she threw her arms around him, "No he isn't and if he does then we'll deal with it."

"What happened between you and him after I left last night?"

"Oh, erm…" she wanted to tell Oliver the truth, but telling him would just make him more angry at Miles and that could lead to him being locked up for a sentence in Azkaban. "We just talked things through."

"Where did you disappear off to this morning? I thought you didn't have practice on a Sunday."

"We don't, the whole team got owled in."

"Anything important?"

"Taylor has left the team."

"What?" she asked shocked.

"Yeah, we all got called in to be told that he had left. An owl got delivered to Deverill and he called everyone in to see if anyone knew why."

"What did you say?"

"That I saw him in The Leaky Cauldron and then I went home."

"Will they come looking for me?"

"No, you have nothing to do with the team. If anyone asks just tell them want happened."

"Okay."

"You have nothing to worry about."

Ashlee nodded in agreement, she was confused as to why Miles would leave his job all of a sudden. She understood that maybe he didn't want to face Oliver or her again but to suddenly leave without reason? It was odd and she said so to Oliver.

"Hmm" was all he replied as he unwrapped his arms from around her waist and caught her hand, "Fancy going for something to eat?"

"Is food all you think about?" she laughed as she was pulled along with him, all thought about Miles forgotten for the moment.

"And you."

"Aww, how sweet."

"I'm a sweet guy," he laughed, swinging her round to face him. "I love you."

"I love you too."


End file.
